COVID-19 Updates

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Disruptions of antiretroviral therapy could lead to more than 500,000 extra deaths from AIDS-related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa if efforts are not made to overcome interruptions in health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimates were unveiled by a modelling group convened by the …

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two out of the five truck drivers who tested positive for coronavirus have been intercepted in Gulu and Amuru districts. The drivers of trucks registration number KCY 263X/ZG 1891 and KAX 598R/ZD 8412, both Kenyan nationals were intercepted this morning at Sultan Energy Petrol …

Why using soap and water is better | THE INDEPENDENT | Hand soap and hand sanitiser might seem interchangeable, but they are meant for different circumstances. While sanitiser is smart to have on hand for when you are on the go, healthcare professionals agree that nothing beats a thorough hand …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s coronavirus lockdown will stay in place until at least June 1, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday, as he unveiled cautious plans to lift restrictions imposed seven weeks ago. “This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week,” he said in a televised address …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa has topped 10,000, including 194 fatalities, Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize announced on Sunday. “As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 10,015, the minister said in a statement. “We note with concern that the …

Tanzanian president throws spanner into COVID-19 testing | THE INDEPENDENT | For those who recall the #WhatWouldMagufuliDo hashtag on Twitter in 2015 and have been following Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli’s unorthodox methods since then, his recent sting on the country’s COVID-19 testing facilities is nothing unusual. But it is …

Is this hope or gloom for Africans? COVER STORY | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it encourages innovations in the search for potential treatments for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) including repurposing drugs, traditional medicines, and developing new therapies. COVID-19, a newly identified strain of …

  Malaba, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The cumulative number of foreign truck drivers confirmed with COVID-19 in Uganda rose to 61 Sunday, after the Ministry of health announced five more positive tests. The truck drivers now account for over 50% of Uganda’s positive tests, that stand at 121. The …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Police are struggling to implement physical distancing guidelines during the arrest of persons accused of violating the lock down rules. The Health Ministry recommends a distance of 4 and half meters between individuals as part of the Covid19 prevention measures. However, Uganda Police Force is failing …

Amuru, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The second out of the 13 truck drivers who tested positive for Corona virus on Friday has been intercepted. The 26-year-old Kenyan truck driver of Somali origin was intercepted on Saturday evening at the Uganda– South Sudan one stop border point in Elegu town in …